CULTURAL MEDALLION & YOUNG ARTIST AWARD CEREMONY 2024

It's that time of year again, when the nation awards accolades to its artists for their achievements in artistic endeavour. This time, guests got to attend the actual presentation ceremony, held at the National Gallery rather than the Istana itself. Gracing the occasion was President Tharman Shanmugaratnam who presented the awards to both of this year's Cultural Medallion recipients - Dr Ghanavenothan Retnam (Music) and Mr Siew Hock Meng (Art). There were four Young Artist Award recipients - Alan Choo (Music), Evan Low (Music), Tan Si En (Film) and Zhang Fuming (Art).

I was honoured to be the guest of violinist Alan Choo, who founded Red Dot Baroque in 2018 and has truly lit up the cause of early music and period instrument music-making in Singapore. He is a true pioneering violinist musician, following the great tradition set by the likes of Goh Soon Tioe, Alphonso Anthony, Lee Pan Hon, Kam Ning and Lynnette Seah. Here are some photos from the Ceremony and reception on Wednesday (27 November 2024).

Here are this year's Cultural Medallion recipients:

Ghanavenothan Retnam,
virtuoso of the bansuri.

Siew Hock Meng & his most famous painting,
The Dawn of an Era (2000).

Alan Choo gets his YAA award 
from MCCY Minister Alvin Tan.

The Siew family.

The Choo family.

Alan Choo, founder & leader
of Red Dot Baroque
with Dr Wong Tien Hwa,
National Arts Council board member

Dr Emily Koh (YAA 2019) with
Jeong Aeree, founder New Opera Singapore.

Dr Brett Stemple, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory
with violinist Lynnette Seah (CM 2006)

Arts impresario Dr & Mrs Robert Liew.

Mervin Beng, founder re:Sound Collective
with Prof Koh Tai Ann (Literature).

Composer Dr Eric Watson (CM 2017)
with pianist Lim Yan (YAA 2006)

The Siew sibs,
baritone Chun Yuan & violinist Yi Li,
sons of Siew Hock Meng.

Fantastic Fiddlers,
Alan Choo & Lynnette Seah.

One final photo, with composers
Dr Emily Koh, (YAA 2019),
Dr Zechariah Goh Toh Chai (YAA 2003) 
and chorusmaster Lim Ai Hooi.